AN INSIGHT INTO CYCLOPROPENIUM ACTIVATED BECKMANN REARRANGEMENT MECHANISMS: A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY
Abstract
The Beckmann rearrangement (BKR) is an acid-induced rearrangement to produce amides and lactams from oximes. However, the traditional reagents used in the experimental studies suffer from several problems including poor reactivity, hazardous byproduct formations.
In a recent study on BKR by Yadav et al., the product was obtained with a better yield and high stereoselectivity with an efficient organocatalysis process. (1) In the study, cyclopropenones are used as an organocatalyst that are the precursors of the cyclopropenium ion. The stability of these three membered ring structures derived from the delocalization of the two-pi electrons over three 2p orbitals and possessing an ionic charge that leads to high reactivity towards anions. An organocatalytic mechanism via formation of a Meisenheimer complex is suggested since neither imidoyl chloride nor 2,3- diphenylcyclopropenone were observed during the experiment. After a short while Lambert et al. published a study similar to Yadav et al. based on the organocatalyzed BKR with cyclopropenium ion and its products. (2) In the study, experiments were conducted at room temperature and in the presence of nitromethane or acetonitrile solvents. Lambert et al. proposed two different mechanisms based on experimental results: organocatalytic and self-propagating mechanisms as distinct from the previous studies. Another study by Lambert et al. proposed that the reaction may be self-propagating rather than organocatalytic. The mechanism of the organocatalytic BKR is not clarified completely. In this theoretical study, the role of the cyclopropenium ion is investigated and the
different mechanisms are designed based on the experimental findings. The geometrical structures of all stationary points in the energy profile are optimized at the M062X/6-31+G(d ,p) level of theory including solvent effects. The alterations in the oxime and cyclopropenone ring substitutents should have an the impact on the efficiency of the reaction. Therefore different oximes and cyclopropenes are studied. (Scheme 1) The
ultimate aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanism of the cyclopropenium activated
BKR reactions with a computational approach.
Keywords
References
- Srivastava, V.P., Patel, R., Garima and L.D.S. Yadav, Chem. Commun., 2010.
- Vanos C.M., Lambert T.H., Chem. Sci.,2010.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
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Journal Section
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Publication Date
January 30, 2015
Submission Date
January 27, 2015
Acceptance Date
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Published in Issue
Year 2015 Volume: 2 Number: 2
